JOSEPH TANNEY, AIA (1961-) and
ROBERT LUNTZ, AIA

Born in 1961, Tanney earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture in 1984 and an MA in Architecture from The Ohio State University.  He has taught at the City College of New York and lectured extensively.  Prior to forming Resolution 4: Architecture, he worked for Gwathmey Siegel and Eisenmann Robertson.

Robert Luntz earned a Bachelor of Design in Architecture from the University of Florida and a MA in Architecture from Columbia University.  Prior to forming Resolution 4: Architecture, he worked for Perkins and WIll, Gwathmey Siegel, Beyer Blinder Belle, and McCree Architects. 

2005 - The Nathan Wieler and Ingrid Tung House #1, better known locally as the area's first Dwell Home, 196 Beech Hill (an alternate address is 3246 Hanks Chapel Road) in Pittsboro NC.  The area's second Dwell Home (by Joel Turkel) is here.  On 9.14 acres.

Nathan Wieler and Ingrid Tung were frustrated with the limited options available in new and existing houses and shared them with Dwell magazine. In 2002, Wieler and Dwell initiated the Dwell Home Design Invitational, a 21st century version of the Case Study Houses program. The construction budget was to be $200,000 plus the land (bought for around $200,000) for a house on 9 acres. Working within the constraints of the prefab form--in order to move by truck, modular home sections could not be wider than 16 feet.  Sixteen architects from the US and abroad were selected to submit designs.

In 2003, the Wielers selected Joseph Tanney and Robert Luntz of Resolution: 4 Architecture in New York.  Module assembly began April 2004 at Carolina Building Systems in Salisbury, North Carolina.  Soon the parts would be put together, and by July, over 2000 people braved the summer heat during an open house.  In December 2004, Dwell declared the competition a huge success. The Wielers were indeed the owners of a stunning new home, called "the most high-profile modern prefab house in America" by the Washington Post and credited by many writers as the spark in a new movement of modern prefab housing.

Yet getting to actual occupancy would take longer.  It would not be until April 2005 that the Wielers moved in.  As is the case with new construction, the process had been far more expensive, time-consuming, and problematic than anyone had anticipated. Although the construction contract (excluding land, architect fees and site work) was for $206,000, it ran about $350,000.  That figure did not include corporate sponsors who provided everything from construction materials to appliances, adding another $200,000 at least.  Windows, for instance, were provided by Loewen, a Canadian concern specializing in the luxury market. Trex provided the planks for all the decks. Other sponsors include Artemide, Fisher & Paykel, Jenn-Air, Kohler, Lennox and Marmoleum.   Raleigh architect Louis Cherry and his staff were involved with R4A and provided interior design products and services, helped with public showings of the home and coordinated  press photography. Total cost:  ball park of approximately $750,000 including land, construction, sponsor donations, architect fees, and site work.

But what a great house!  2340 sf inside, 2 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, pulled together by 1,500 square feet of decks and upwards of 80 windows.

Wieler finished construction after firing the original contractor, Mount Vernon Homes, Inc., very close to completion.  From this experience, former internet entrepreneur Wieler started in business full-time offering a range of modern prefab homes and products.  Just seven months later, in November 2005, Wieler put the home on the market here for $650,000.  They reduced the price to $585,000 and had three offers on the house but decided not to sell.  The house was taken off the market for a few years.  It sold in January 2009 to current owners Sha Chang and Alfred Kleinhammes.